Join me and Mr. Hayes at the NYC B&N for a FREE talk and signing of my book #PicturingPrince.
Bring friends.
Bring fun.
Bring purple glitter.
On second thought purple glitter winds up in terrible places. Don't bring that.
PS - between me and Morris you MAY not get a lot of qustions in. I'm just sayin'

the ny one is on the 15 th

This book is really good.

ufoclub said:

This book is really good.

Agreed! I feel like many of the photographs are already floating around online so those, to me, are not half as exciting as the memories Parke has written. The stories are great and provide such a unique insight into Prince. So far my favorite stories are: George Clinton eating KFC at PP, Prince playing the vocal overdub song to SP (the name of the unreleased track escapes me, book is at home), hearing about the photo shoot at the Landscape Arboretum, Prince's reaction to SP's Blair Witch t-shirt... and the way Prince would hang out and listen to music with SP. A GREAT book. Thank you Steve Parke! AWESOME work!!!

partyup77 said:

ufoclub said:

This book is really good.

Agreed! I feel like many of the photographs are already floating around online so those, to me, are not half as exciting as the memories Parke has written. The stories are great and provide such a unique insight into Prince. So far my favorite stories are: George Clinton eating KFC at PP, Prince playing the vocal overdub song to SP (the name of the unreleased track escapes me, book is at home), hearing about the photo shoot at the Landscape Arboretum, Prince's reaction to SP's Blair Witch t-shirt... and the way Prince would hang out and listen to music with SP. A GREAT book. Thank you Steve Parke! AWESOME work!!!

It's also wistful and sad, like how he found out Prince would go back out to that park to walk around, and only a few weeks before his passing, had gone there to find the trails temporarily closed.

But there's funny stuff too... like Prince answering the phone at the studios himself in a character voice and playing around with the people asking about Prince.

While it's always wonderful to see a picture of Prince you hadn't seen before or take a fresh look at one you remember liking, it was the text in "Picturing Prince" that surprised me. I was unexpectedly moved. In fact, I might say that this has been the most moving recollection of time spent with him that I've read so far - moreso than Mayte's book or anything else I've read.

There's something incredible to me about getting the opportunity to experience what many might consider to be an unlikely friendship through Steve Parke's eyes. I loved how it was formatted in quick little diary-like entries accompanying a photo. You read one and then you sort of ponder it while staring at the image, and then you move on to another story, each one more interesting than the last, and most of them little more than glimpses and slices of life that render Prince witty, deliberate, stubborn, goofy, insightful, and fantastically, beautifully human.

What I liked best is that Parke was clearly a long-time employee (by Prince's standards, to be sure), but he wasn't jockeying for a creative voice in the same way that musicians who worked in Prince's bands might have been. He seemed far more at the service of Prince than self. I think that impacts the intention of the writing. Because he seemed happy to be working at Paisley Park (despite the crazy schedule that would eventually cause him to leave), his writing is not focused on himself so much as what he was able to experience. And even though Parke was clearly at Prince's service, it was so striking to read about little moments when Prince would ask him questions and learn something from him.

I highly recommend this one!

rogifan said:

This was really great. I enjoyed what Steve had to share and I could listen to Morris anytime. Got my book signed and got photographs with both.

We saw your photos rogi Would have loved to be able to attend to meet those two.

[Edited 9/20/17 8:10am]

Kacey725 said:

While it's always wonderful to see a picture of Prince you hadn't seen before or take a fresh look at one you remember liking, it was the text in "Picturing Prince" that surprised me. I was unexpectedly moved. In fact, I might say that this has been the most moving recollection of time spent with him that I've read so far - moreso than Mayte's book or anything else I've read.

There's something incredible to me about getting the opportunity to experience what many might consider to be an unlikely friendship through Steve Parke's eyes. I loved how it was formatted in quick little diary-like entries accompanying a photo. You read one and then you sort of ponder it while staring at the image, and then you move on to another story, each one more interesting than the last, and most of them little more than glimpses and slices of life that render Prince witty, deliberate, stubborn, goofy, insightful, and fantastically, beautifully human.

What I liked best is that Parke was clearly a long-time employee (by Prince's standards, to be sure), but he wasn't jockeying for a creative voice in the same way that musicians who worked in Prince's bands might have been. He seemed far more at the service of Prince than self. I think that impacts the intention of the writing. Because he seemed happy to be working at Paisley Park (despite the crazy schedule that would eventually cause him to leave), his writing is not focused on himself so much as what he was able to experience. And even though Parke was clearly at Prince's service, it was so striking to read about little moments when Prince would ask him questions and learn something from him.

I highly recommend this one!

Yes, agree with all you've said. This is a very good book and I'm really glad I bought it. Looking forward to Afshin's photo book too. I wish all the photographers he worked with would do this.

I just listened to a video recording of the event and I enjoyed listening to these two men share their times with Prince. They both seem like nice guys and I'd love to have met them in person.

Mumio said:

I just listened to a video recording of the event and I enjoyed listening to these two men share their times with Prince. They both seem like nice guys and I'd love to have met them in person.

is it online?

luvsexy4all said:

Mumio said:

I just listened to a video recording of the event and I enjoyed listening to these two men share their times with Prince. They both seem like nice guys and I'd love to have met them in person.

is it online?

It was on Facebook. I will check to see if I can post it here if you'd like?

I just ordered the book and am looking forward to reading it. The first one I've purchased.

Thank you!

deerpath said:

I just ordered the book and am looking forward to reading it. The first one I've purchased.

Thank you!

Same here.

I love this book and bought it back in June. I am crestfallen this edition will have more photos. I love the tales too.

George Clinton eating KFC

Prince bowling in those weird white mohair boots

Prince at the arboretum

Prince not saying a thing to him about his first masterpiece on GB

Prince calling him to say that his artwork was all over Time square

.

And the photos, are amazing, only grumble, just a few too many 1999 Rave era and would have liked to seen some more mid 90s stuff (Couple of Emancipation and 97 ones). The book goes well with Mayte's book which has similar era photographs and the one of him at Marbella with the Joined Symbol M logo.

Kacey725 said: